BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY TEXTBOOK VOCAB Flashcards
1
Q
ACETYCHOLINE
A
produced by cholinergic neurons and found in both the central and peripheral nervous system.
(1st neurotransmitter to be discovered)
2
Q
ACUITY
A
the precision or sharpness of vision.
3
Q
ADRENAL GLANDS
A
glands found directly above the kidneys; responsible for the release of certain hormones into the blood supply.
4
Q
ADRENALINE
A
aka epinephrine
hormone and a neurotransmitter. adrenaline is released when people are in stressful situations, and it prepares the body to deal with threats.
5
Q
AFFERENT
A
carrying information towards the central nervous system.
6
Q
AGONIST
A
chemical that triggers responses in a cell by binding to a receptor of the cell.
7
Q
ALEXITHYMIA
A
inability to consciously experience emotion.
8
Q
ALLOSTATIC LOAD
A
psychological wear and tear caused by repeated activation of the body’s stress responses.
9
Q
AMINO ACID
A
organic compound that is a building block for protein.
10
Q
AMYGDALA
A
almond-shaped area of the brain wihtin the temporal lobe that is believed to govern emotional processing.
11
Q
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
A
eating disorder (most common in females) associated with food restriction and distorted body image.
12
Q
ANTERIOR INSULAR CORTEX (AI)
A
part of the cerebral cortex, located deep in the lateral sulcus.
13
Q
ANTAGONIST
A
a chemical that blocks a response in the call caused by an agonist.
14
Q
ANTEROGREADE AMNESIA
A
loss in the ability to encode new memories, most likely to be caused by disease or brain surgery that affects the hippocampus.
15
Q
ANTICONVULSANT
A
drug treatment designed to prevent or treat seizures associated with conditions such as epilepsy.
16
Q
ARCUATE FASCICULUS
A
bundle of nerve fibres that connects language areas to each other.
17
Q
ATTACHMENT
A
emotional bond between individuals.
18
Q
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (ANS)
A
involuntary nervous system, controlling visceral functions.
19
Q
AXIAL SECTION
A
aka transverse, horizontal, or transaxial plane
divides the brain into superior and inferior parts.
20
Q
BLASTOCYST
A
mass of cells that forms early during development
21
Q
BOTTOM-UP
A
theory that claims that perception relies only on the information contained in the stimulus.
22
Q
BROCA’S AREA
A
language area in the frontal lobe of left hemisphere that is active in producing speech.
23
Q
BULIMIA NERVOSA
A
eating disorder (more common in women)
associated with binge eating and purging
24
Q
BURNOUT
A
normally related to exhaustion as a result of work pressure and can lead to problems in both work and home life.
25
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS)
brain and spinal cord
integrates and coordinates information received from the rest of the body.
26
CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW
distribution of blood to areas of the brain
27
CHROMATIN STRUCTURE
combination of DNA and proteins that form the contents of a cell nucleus.
28
CHROMOSOMES
structure made up of DNA and proteins that contain genes and are found in the nucleus of every cell.
(humans have 46 chromosomes; 23 pairs)
29
COCHLEAR CODING
arrangement of the cochlear whereby low-frequency sounds produce, maximal stimulation towards the tip of the cochlea, and high-frequency sounds produce maximal stimulation towards its base.
30
CONCEPT MAP
visual representation of the relationship between two or more key concepts.
31
CONTRALATERAL
situated on the opposite side.
32
CONVERGENCE
organization principle in the retina, where information from more than one receptor cell converges into the ganglion cell.
33
CONVERGENT EVOLUTION
evolutionary processes that independently produce similarities between distant species (ex. wings of birds and insects).
34
CORONAL SECTION
aka frontal place
divides the brain into verbal and dorsal (or front and back) sections.
35
CORTEX
layered, folded structure of neural tissue, forming the outermost part of the brain- known as "thinking" part of the brain.
36
CORTISOL
hormone released by the adrenal glands when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is triggered due to exposure to threat.
37
CT SCAN
COMPUTERISED TOMOGRAPHY SCAN
series of x-rays showing the structure of parts of the brain or body
38
DEMENTIA
marked loss of cognitive ability and memory caused by various disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease
39
DIPLOID CELL
cell that contains two sets of chromosomes (one from each parent)
40
DNA
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID
molecule that contains genetic instructions for proteins needed in the development and growth of an organism.
41
DNA METHYLATION
within the field or epigenetics, this refers to the attachment or substitution of a methyl group of DNA.
42
DOPAMINE
neurotransmitter associated with motivation and pleasure
43
DOPAMINERGIC SYSTEM
Areas that use dopamine as their synaptic transmitter
44
DUPLEXITY THEORY OF VISION
vision is mediated by rod cells at low light levels (ex.at night), and by cones at higher levels of light (ex. in the day)
45
ECG
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY
measurement of the electrical activity of the heart, recorded by sensors placed on the skin.
46
EEG
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY
recording of brain electrical activity using electrodes placed on the surface of the scalp.
47
EFFERENT
carrying information away from the central nervous system
48
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
study of the electrical activity of the nervous system
49
EMG
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY
recording of the electrical activity associated with muscular movements.
50
EMOTIONAL STIMULUS
object or event that can produce a strong emotional reaction.
51
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
cells, tissues, and glands that release hormones directly into the bloodstream
52
ENDOGENOUS
substances that are created from within the organism
53
ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
sub-division of the autonomic nervous system, controlling gastrointestinal processes.
54
EOG
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY
recording of the electrical activity associated with eye movements.
55
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL
study that focuses on disease frequencies and potential causes within the human population.
56
EPILEPSY
set of chronic neurologically-based medical conditions that cause seizures.
57
ERP
EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL
an analysis technique used with EEG data to measure the timing of brain activity in relation to an external event.
58
ESTRADIOL
primary form of estrogen produced by the ovary
59
EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS
ability to survive and reproduce, passing on genes to the next generation
60
EXTEROCEPTIVE
sensory system that reacts to stimuli from outside the body
61
FAST ADAPTOR
mechanoreceptors that show adaptation
62
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE
physiological reaction to danger that prepares the body either to stay and fight or flee from the threat
63
fMRI
FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
brain imaging technique used to measure neural activity
64
FOVEA
area at the center of the retina that allows for a vision of high precision in the center of the visual field.
65
FOXP2 GENE
a gene-encoding protein that is important in speech production
66
FREE-RIDER
individual who reaps benefits without paying costs
67
FUNCTION
reason why a trait has evolved; the evolutionary benefits of a trait.
68
GAMETE
a sex cell (egg or sperm).
69
GENE
segment of DNA that is located on a chromosome. genes act as a set of instructions that allow characteristics to be passed from parents to their offsprings.
70
GENETIC MARKER
a sequence of DNA that indicates an increased likelihood of a specific characteristics, trait, or even occuring.
71
GENOTYPE
underlying genetic composition of an individual
72
GESCHWIND'S TERRITORY
language-related area in the parietal lobule, connecting other brain areas
73
GLIAL CELL
cell that maintains the nervous system
74
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
group of corticosteroids (such as cortisol or dexamethasone) produced by the adrenal glands and involved mainly in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
75
GLYCOGEN
complex carbohydrate used for short-term energy storage.
76
GREY MATTER
neural tissue found in the brain and spinal cord that contains nerve cell bodies and nerve fibres. the matter is grey in color as it does not contain myelin, which gives other areas of neural tissue a white colour.
77
GYRUS
ridge on the surface of the brain, often surrounded by sulci
78
HAPLOID CELL
cell that contains one complete set of chromosomes
79
HYOID BONE
horseshoe-shaped bone in the mid-anterior neck, allowing for speech.
80
HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS
part of the neuroendocrine system that regulates bodily functions such as temperature, immune function and energy use. the HPA also plays a major role in helping the body maintain a response to threat.
81
HYPOTHALAMUS
located inthe middle of the brain below the thalamus.
this cortical area is responsible for the regulation and coordination of many key body functions including the body response to threat.
82
INTEROCEPTIVE
reacting to stimuli from our internal environments
83
INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS
awareness of ones bodily states (such as heartbeat, gut sensations)
84
LARYNX
the "voice box", an organ in the neck that is active in breathing and sound production
85
LATERAL SULCUS
fissure that divides frontal and parietal lobes from the temporal lobe
86
LYMPH
clear fluid that contains white blood cells and circulates throughout the lymphatic system.
lymph removes bacteria and some proteins from the tissues and delivers mature lymphocytes into blood system.
87
MACROGLIA
constellation of several types of glial cells that maintain the nervous system
88
MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR
behavior that is unhelpful and often counterproductive
89
MECHANORECEPTOR
neuron that fires an action potential in response to physical movement
90
MEG
MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY
recording of the magnetic fields produced by the brain, using sensors placed next to the scalp.
91
MEMORY CONSOLIDATION
process of encoding information from the short-term store into long-term storage
92
MICROGLIA
small glial cells that dispose parts of dead neurons
93
MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM
neuronal system that mirrors the behavior of other.
94
MODALITY
type of physical energy that can be sensed
95
MONOAMINE
group of neurotransmitters that includes serotonin and dopamine
96
MRI
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
technique to produce detailed pictures of the structure of the braini
97
MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION
study of how signals from the different senses are combines by the brain
98
MULTI-STORE MODEL OF MEMORY
theoretical model of memory processing suggested by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968.
it comprises three different memory stores: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
99
NEUROTROPHIN
protein that regulates the development and maintenance of the nervous system
100
NOCICEPTOR
somatosensory receptor for pain- free nerve ending that initiates action potentials in the presence of stimuli that cause tissue damage.
101
OBESOGENUC ENVIRONMENT
environment characterised by widespread availability of inexpensive unhealthy food that contributes to the prevalence of obesity
102
OXYTOCIN
neurotransmitter associated with social relationships and bonding
103
PARASYMPATHETIC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (pNAS)
responsible for activities that occur when body is at rest (sexual arousal, tears, digestion, etc)
104
PATHOGEN
any agent that has the ability to cause disease. the term may relate to viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
105
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS)
part of the nervous system; consists of nerves from outside of the central nervous system, and connects the central nervous system to other parts of the body.
106
PET
POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY
this traces the movement of a radioactive substance in the nervous system, producing detailed pictures about the functional processes in the brain.
107
PHENOTYPE
expressed, observable physical and behavioral characteristics of an individual, which are part of the underlying genotype.
108
PHONOLOGY
branch of linguistics dealing with how sounds are organised in different languages
109
PHONETICS
study of the structural properties of speech sounds
110
PHYLOGENY
evolutionary history of a species
111
PRADER WILI SYNDROME
condition characterised by a constant desire to eat food and motivated by a permanent feeling of hunger
112
PROSPECTIVE STUDY
study that starts at the present time and observes changes within the chosen population over time. prospective studies within the health psychology field are normally designed to observe who and why healthy people in a population become ill.
113
PROXIMATE EXPLANATION
explanation that looks at HOW something works. in biological psychology, proximate explanations are often dealing with genes, the brain, neurotransmitters and hormones. proximate explanations are about things that happen in the lifetime of an individual, often within the body of an individual.
114
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS
psychological and social influences that can affect how a person functions.
115
PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS
set on non-medication-based treatments that use psychological techniques in order to treat mental health disorders.
116
QUALIA
subjective, felt aspects of our mental lives
117
RECEPTIVE FIELD
region of space in which stimulation will change the firing rate of neuron
118
RECEPTOR ORGAN
an organ that contains receptor cells that respond to stimulation (for example, the eyes, the ears.)
119
RECURSIVEGRAMMAR
embedding of clause withi sentences
120
RETICULAR FORMATION
region of neural networks in the brainstem
121
RODENT MODEL
research on a rodent, often using invasive techniques that could not be used in humans. the results are used in speculating the causes for human behavior.
122
SAGITTAL MODEL
vertical plane that divides the brain into left and right halves
123
SCR
SKIN CONDUCTIVE RESPONSE
recording of the electrical activity of the skin, which varies in its moisture level, providing a measure of sympathetic nervous system activity
124
SEMANTICS
branch of linguistics interested in the meaning of words
125
SENSORY MODALITY
way of sensing associated with sound, vision,touch,smell,or taste
126
SEROTONIN
a neurotransmitter with a wide range of functions
127
SEVERE LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT (SLI)
difficulaties in understanding , processing and producing language
128
SEX HORMONES
a set of hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone that are responsible
for the growth or maintenance of the reproductive organs, thedevelopment of secondary sex characteristics, and sexual behaviour.
129
SINGLE-UNIT RECORDING
the recording of the electrical activity of a single neuron in the brain, using a microelectrode.
130
SLOW ADAPTORS
mechanoreceptors that show no adaptation.
131
SOCIAL COGNITION
processes involved in the encoding, storage and retrieval of social information.
132
SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS)
voluntary nervous system that controls, for example, movements of the body.
133
SPATIAL COGNITION
the precision with which a spatial position can measured.
134
STRESSOR
a stimulus, such as an event or situation, that induces a physiological stress response.
135
SULCUS
a depression, or a furrow, on the surface of the brain.
136
SYMPATHETIC AUTOMATIIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (sANS)
prepares the body for ‘fight or flight’ action.
137
TEMPORAL RESOLUTION
the precision with which the time that an event happened can be measured.
138
TESTOSTERONE
a sex hormone that exerts both organisational and activational effects.
139
THALAMOCORTICAL SYSTEM
reciprocal connections between thalamus and cortex.
140
THEORYOF MIND
the ability to understand other individuals as intentional creatures.
141
TOP-DOWN
an approach to perception that emphasises the importance of contextual
factors (expectations, goals, knowledge) in the process of perception, in
contrast to a bottom-up approach.
142
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING
the ordered projection of cells from the receptor organ to the brain.
143
TRANSDUCTION
the process of converting a physical stimulus into neural signals.
144
ULTIMATE QUESTION
a question that deals with the evolutionary functions of a trait or a behaviour. What reproductive/survival advantages did the trait have for
ancestral humans?
145
VASOPRESSIN
a hormone associated with reabsorption of water and blood pressure.
146
VISUAL AGNOSIA
an impairment in object recognition.
147
WORKING MEMORY MODEL
a theoretical model of short-term memory suggested by Baddeley and
Hitch (1974).
148
WERNICKE'S AREA
language area in the left cerebral cortex that is active in understanding
speech.
149
ZYGOTE
two gametes (sperm and egg) joining together to form an initial cell during sexual reproduction.
